Thor in 4DX will Ragnarok your world

4DX is one of the best viewing experiences that’s available around for consumers to enjoy movies. For the uninitiated, 4DX is literally the ultimate immersive theater experience. This is achieved by adding in environmental effects that helps to draw the audience deeper into what they’re watching. These effects include water, wind, lights, fog, different scents and most noticeably the motion chairs. Put all this together and you have an experience that’s only comparable to 3D rides at theme parks.

We recently got a chance to watch the new Marvel film, Thor: Ragnarok in 4DX and here’s what we thought

The Good

Thor: Ragnarok seems to utilize the 4DX platform almost perfectly right from the start. From subtle movements like Thor hanging from a chain, the motion chairs emulate the feeling as if you were hanging too. On scenes where there was fire, the combination of atmospheric effects of fog (emulating smoke), the slight scent of something burning and the amber lights really immersed you and gave you the belief that you were literally in the thick of it.

There were many times while flying, you got a rush of air hitting you in the face, giving you the feeling that you were soaring as well. Another standout moment came when one character was climbing close to the ocean and you had the sensation of the ocean mist passing along your face as the waves crashed nearby. I think my favorite use of effects came at the smaller moments, like camera pans. The motion chairs would slowly move as the camera panned out on-screen, which provided this amazing feeling and effect that drew you into the film more than before.

The Bad

With the amount of action that Thor: Ragnarok has, you’d think that it would be a good thing for someone sitting in motion chairs. That’s not necessarily the case here, as it’s quite the contrary. While the chairs did a phenomenal job of immersing you into feeling like you’re in the center of the action, at times it can feel like it’s a bit too much. On some of the heavier action sequences, I found myself being drawn out of the film itself and paying more attention to the chair violently (exaggeration) shaking. Granted, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be punched by The Hulk, but I didn’t expect to feel it as much as I did either.

Conclusion

If there was ever a time that you wanted to be in a movie as much as just watching it, then 4DX is the way to go. As for watching Thor: Ragnarok on this platform, I highly suggest it. Despite some action scenes that feel a bit rough (literally), the entire film lends itself very well on 4DX. I didn’t mention this earlier, but it also utilized Real3D for our showing. I must say that the visuals in the movie looked gorgeous in 3D, and this is coming from someone that normally dislikes watching films in 3D. Do yourself a favor and go watch it.

Currently, there are only 9 locations in the United States that support the 4DX platform. Locations include Regal Cinemas at L.A. LIVE, CGV Cinemas in Buena Park (CA), Regal Cinemas E-Walk Stadium in New York, Regal Union Square Stadium 14 in New York, Regal Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 & IMAX, Cinepolis Vista in Carlsbad, Cinepolis Pico Rivera, Regal Meridian 16 in Seattle, and Marcus Gurnee Mills Cinema in Gurnee, IL.